Cross country has developed rapidly in recent years. Jumps, changes of direction, ramps and root passages follow each other in rapid succession, and the tracks are becoming ever more technically demanding and faster. The days of monotonous forest highway races are long gone; the tires for these modern tracks have to roll particularly easily and still be reliable and durable. "The tread must work perfectly on a wide variety of surfaces in all weather conditions. Cornering, acceleration, grip, rolling resistance and braking performance should be perfectly balanced," emphasizes Markus Hachmeyer, Senior Product Manager Mountain Bike Tyres at Schwalbe. According to tire guru Hachmeyer, the perfect solution was only possible "by developing special tires for the front and rear wheels".

And so the new tires should only show their full advantages in the team: According to Schwalbe, Racing Ray is a front tire with excellent leading characteristics, while Racing Ralph provides speed and traction on the rear wheel. Although the new tires have very different profiles, Schwalbe is using a new version of the rounded lugs on both tires, which have already ensured the success of the Fat Albert duo. The special feature: the lugs are designed to convert forces from any direction into a continuous riding experience and make the tire very predictable. "The tires are forgiving of mistakes. If they do break out, they can be caught again quickly," explains Markus Hachmeyer.

At the front: Racing Ray

As a thoroughbred front tire, the Racing Ray is designed to ensure precise steering, reliable cornering and confidence-inspiring grip right up to the limit. At the same time, it brakes well and in a controlled manner in all conditions. The firmly supported, barely deformable shoulder blocks support a direct driving style even when cornering hard.

Despite its aggressive profile, it rolls smoothly, quickly and quietly on its almost closed center bar made of offset center blocks. With its many grip edges in the longitudinal direction, the tire always strikes the right balance between smooth running and grip. The area between the center and shoulder, where the transition blocks are located, should not be underestimated. Only they enable a continuous gripping edge. The overall open tread design ensures good self-cleaning. Racing Ray is equipped exclusively with Addix Speedgrip Compound for the optimum grip, speed and durability required on the front wheel.

Rear: Racing Ralph

The new Racing Ralph has a coarser setup than its predecessor, but is still designed to roll more smoothly. The solid blocks in the middle and the supported lugs on the shoulder and in the transition area are intended to provide numerous grip edges for traction and propulsion. Together with the open gaps, this ensures better grip on roots and edges as well as good self-cleaning. The rider can feel how the tire converts the power input directly into propulsion, even at low speeds on steep climbs in wet conditions, emphasizes the Product Manager. At the same time, the tire rolls quietly and smoothly on a constant contact patch. As the rear wheel is all about speed, Addix Speed is the ideal rubber compound. Although the new Racing Ralph was designed as a rear wheel specialist, it can also be ridden on the front wheel on very dry roads.

Both new tires are equipped with Tubeless Easy technology and the reinforced sidewall called SnakeSkin and, according to Schwalbe, will be available in specialist bike shops for the first time from July. The dimensions available are 26x2.25" (565 grams), 27.5x2.25" (590 grams), 29x2.10 (595 grams) and 29x2.25" (625 grams). For the weights mentioned, these are identical for Racing Ralph and Racing Ray in the respective size.

www.schwalbe.com